Eternity and All it Entails
by Zencolour
Summary: Knox, a rather unbecoming Kecleon trader, is on the hunt for a new mercenary to protect his wagons as he attempts the treacherous journey to the New World. Searching through his usual recruitment channels he comes across an Umbreon in a small wayfarer's inn. However, the strange Pokémon's reputation is at odds with the Kecleon's more practical nature. Oneshot.


Eternity and All it Entails

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Knox, a rather unbecoming Kecleon trader, is on the hunt for a new mercenary to protect his wagons as he attempts the treacherous journey to the New World. Searching through his usual recruitment channels he comes across an Umbreon in a small wayfarer's inn. However, the strange Pokémon's reputation is at odds with the Kecleon's more practical nature. Oneshot.

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A Simplified Verse from "Myths and Legends: Volume XII"

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[Translated]

 _Long, long ago two pokemon fell in love under the stars as if the very cosmos had spelt out their devotion to each other across the heavens. It was a pairing that the very Gods smiled upon, so dedicated were they to each other. But as the time they spent in each other's embrace stretched through the endless summers, she became ill. It was a poison so rare that he spent years searching for a cure, while moon by moon she became weaker. At last he found a magician with the knowledge of the deadly disease._

 _However, the aged Xatu warned that the herb required to leach out the poison could only be found on the night of a blue moon at the side of the vast Lake Acuity. Knowing that not enough time remained to obtain the cure, they agreed to have the Xatu encase her in a single crystal of pure quartz and with it a state of hibernation. Meanwhile he trekked to and waited alone at the edge of Lake Acuity through season after season until a cold blue moon revealed a single herb growing down by the lake side._

 _Overjoyed, he rushed back to save his love only to find that thieves had sacked the magicians hollow. The crystal block in which she was frozen had been broken into a million pieces and scattered to the four winds. In such a turn of events he was enraged, knowing that once again there was not enough time in a single life to reassemble the quartz shards and return his lover into his embrace. And so, in a cold fury, he strode into the Hall of Origin to challenge the Gods in single hand combat. With no mercy he thrashed the creators and in return, stole the secret to eternal life._

 _And ever since then he has walked the earth alone. With nothing but the four winds for company and the aching of his heart, he has searched the world over and over again in the search for the quartz shards. Nobody knows how long he has been searching, nor how much longer he will search for still. But only one thing is known for certain...he will not end his hunt until he can rebuild his lover again...and once more live peacefully under the glitter of the endless cosmos above._

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 **Eternity and All it Entails - A Oneshot**

* * *

It was notably quiet in the White Sawsbuck, a small wayfarer's inn which attracted a small crowd of the more reserved type. Owned and managed by a rather portly Raichu, it was the kind of place where you went for a bit of peace instead of the hustle and bustle of many taverns. Because of that, it attracted a certain kind of customer.

Knox was a small Kecleon that was typically quick-thinking in nature and well versed in his use of numeracy and math - largely in the form of counting his profits. Having shunted the risk of newly opened trade-routes over the past few seasons, he had finally grown the courage to accept the risks and attempt the dangerous journey. But Knox was sensible and knew that with new risks also came new precautions. At least for a well practiced trader like himself.

So he decided it was time to hire a couple of well-experienced mercenaries and make the trip as soon as possible. Maybe then he wouldn't miss out on too much of the profits he'd only heard about as rumors. In his line of work, Knox knew the truth behind such mutterings in quite dark taverns.

He also knew that the White Sawsbuck was one of those lesser known parts of town where the type of men he was looking for hung out. Silent types that got the job done and took their pay without too many questions. Having heard of a new still unemployed mercenary in town, Knox made it his duty to search out the man and see if his reputation meeted his own expectations.

Thankfully, Knox didn't have to wait around long as he stepped into the White Sawsbuck and kicked off the dirt from his boots at the door.

Inside it was a little gloomy with only a few customers at this time in the morning. An Umbreon looked up from his drink at the sound of the Pokémon approaching only for the gruff voice of the bartender to point out of the obvious.

'He's here...'

The bartender grinned at the dark type, being a slightly chubby Raichu meant he had to move out of the way to reveal the smaller Kecleon, squeezing back behind the bar. The jars hung up along the wall rattled as the electric-type settled and returned to his pastime of cleaning the tumblers with a white rag.

At first the Kecleon looked a little unsure of himself, eyes scanning the alehouse wearily though it was nearly empty. At last they found their way to the small Umbreon sat on stall, blood red eyes staring down into his china mug. Traders rarely ventured far into town.

The Kecleon cleared its throat,

'I'm guess you're here to employ?' The Umbreon interrupted quickly. He had a sharp tongue that caught Knox unawares. Turning round slowly, he fixed the pokémon with a red-eyes stare. The Kecleon realized he was shuffling awkwardly and so took a stool by the side of the dark type. After all, you had to make the right impressions when making business deals like this.

Knox took a deep breath to settle his nerves.

'Indeed,' the chameleon's voice was dry and lizard-like 'I'm guessing that you are Jae?'

'That is correct.'

A pause,

'I have an employment opportunity for you.'

The Umbreon drained off the rest of his thick black coffee before wiping his mouth with a paw and pushing it over towards the raichu who picked the cup up with a grin. Only the sound of the bartender cleaning the grubby glasses with a cloth caught at the Kecleon's ears as he sighed and tried to cope with the uncivilized hole he had found himself in.

'I'm running a trip northwest up towards the New World. We've heard stories of the route and so thought it would be wise to hire somebody to protect our goods while we travel.'

'We?'

The Umbreon itched at a nasty looking scar that ran up one shoulder as he posed the question.

'There is my partner and I...as well as some other guards and required travelling companions.'

'So I'm guessing your traders?'

Knox nodded singularly and the Umbreon smiled. It was a faded grin which was formed by the lips but seemed to lack the emotion needed. The motion looked practiced rather than forced, but it still jarred the Kecleon.

'I'm interested...though by the time you get there it's going to be near winter. Either it'll be a quick run or we'll be bedded down for three months before we can finish off the trip. I assume you can understand the difference in pay of both scenarios?'

The Kecleon grunted, unsure of whether the Pokémon was just stupid or purposefully trying to anger him. He was a trader for goodness sake, of course he knew how the numbers ran!

Calming himself, Knox pushed away the flash of anger.

'I have calculated that it will take two and a half months.'

The Umbreon nodded.

'That sounds correct. '

'You've made this run before?' The kecleon's eyes narrowed, trying and failing to read anything from the dark type who sat on his stall leisurely. Jae's golden rings caught at the low candle light and the morning sun bursting through the dusty windows.

'A very long time ago.'

The kecleon wondered if the Umbreons reputation was true and was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost missed the words the dark type spoke.

'I guess we shall discuss pay then...?'

His crimson eyes revealed nothing.

Knox shrugged, knowing that such was at the front of the mind of any mercenary. They were all cut from the same cloth.

'You get five percent of our earnings from the trip, and a deposit to start of 300 Poképound.'

'No.'

Jae answered sharply without even a moment's thought. He didn't speak the word aggressively but in a matter of fact way that was disconcerting for the trader. As if to highlight this point, the umbreon stretch on his small barstool.

'I want payment up front trader. You could make no profits and I'll end up getting nothing. I have my pay now and I'll do whatever length of time it takes for you to reach the New World.'

The kecleon sighed, unsure whether or not he should take the rumours of the Pokémon's skill for truth. It was unethical to pay people up front like that.

'You either want to employ me or you don't' The Umbreon pointed out.

A pause,

The Kecleon wondered whether he was going through some mid-life crisis, taking as many risks as he was. However, something deep down was also intrigued above the character sat before him.

'Fine. We have it your way sir... We'll leave...'

'I will be ready.'

The umbreon interrupted quietly in a voice that seemed to draw all other ears to him. Jae grinned, before hopping of the stool and making his way to the door. The kecleon was stunned for words, unsure what was just happened and if he had actually just hired the mercenary. Jae, however, didn't look back as he slipped out into the noisy street outside.

Knox turned to the bartender who was trying to stifle a laugh.

'He does that sometimes.'

'But... We didn't even discuss payment?'

The raichu froze. The puzzled expression that he portrayed only added to the discomfort the Kecleon was feeling. Oh how he hated backwards places like this.

'You're saying you don't know what to pay him the Umbreon?'

The Kecleon's face was blank and the bartender sighed before pushing the glasses he had been cleaning out of the way. Leaning his furred forearms across the wooden bar, Knox pulled back from the unwashed smell of the Pokémon who spoke.

'You pay him in quartz shards... you've seen the likes surely? He'll have anything you can offer, the more the better. Surely you've heard that tale as a kid?'

The kecleon shook his head and the Raichu frowned,

'You've been keeping out of the loop. I thought every kit heard that story...'

'What story?'

A faint wind picked up suddenly outside and a shutter banged shut, the small sign above the inn creaked back and forth.

'Well I'm not sure where to start. But you've heard of Jae otherwise you wouldn't have employed him.' The Raichu paused, 'You know they say he can just change people's thoughts to put them right off things, he'll just sleep on top of your wagon and you won't see a thing within a hundred yards...'

The electric type grinned, obviously enjoying himself with the airy conversion.

'They say he could convince even the legendaries to wake if he could just get a look at them.'

'Can you just get on...'

'Yes, yes...' The bartender was taken aback, enjoying the story he was telling. 'Well this was way, way back but it is said an Umbreon fell in love with a Leafeon and they lived happily for a number of years. One night the leafeon fell ill and they couldn't find a cure for the poison that had found a way into her veins. Instead they agreed to somehow preserve her precious life while they still could...and the Umbreon found a magician to lock her inside a tomb of pure crystal to keep her alive...'

The kecleon stifled a yawn. He was no stranger to the stupid tales that backwards people in places like this told. However, the Rachiu continued with only a space for a shallow breath.

'So then the Umbreon went out searching and following up rumours he could on what cure he could get to save his beloved. After a year nothing, two years nothing, ten years and he returned with a cure only to find the hidden crystal tomb had been smashed and the love of his life was gone. All that was left was a shard of quartz.

'He hunted down the magician and found them on their deathbed. The Umbreon begged for a way of bringing her back only to discover that all was lost... unless he could find every last shard of crystal and piece his beloved back together again...'

The bartender pulled himself back to reality and smiled to himself.

'And he still searches for every last piece.'

The kecleon was a believer in logic and he shook off the story of the uncivilised bartender like it was nothing. Yet, a slight chill had caught at his scales and Knox got off the grotty stall with a huff.

'Where do you find these quartz shards?'

The Raichu laughed heartily,

'That's the problem. If it was that easy the story would be complete and your mercenary wouldn't need employment...'

He paused,

'They say he took on the legendaries on the grounds that if he won they'd make him immortal until the two of them were back together... and he's still here now.'

By this time Knox was sick of the town and wanted to be back on his wagons.

'Thankyou for your help sir.'

The Kecleon frowned, brushed himself off and exited the alehouse before any other bits of grime could get stuck to him. The faint odour of the unwashed and stale beer still caught at his sensitive nostrils though the faint breeze in the street cleared it within a few minutes.

Outside, Pokémon of all shapes and sizes were bustling through the town about their daily business.

Knox walked over the cobbles calmly, trying to pull himself together and wonder who it was he were dealing with…and why the hell he was even bothering! Tales from other traders had led him to believe that the New World was dangerous, all their wagons were covered with armed guards. On the other hand that meant only one thing, there must have been enough profit in this new land to make even hired mercenaries worthwhile. As for the price of armed steel these days, well, Knox had traded long enough to know tales when he was told them. Jae was the best of the best, there was no doubting that.

Maybe this was all a joke between the bartender and him. The Umbreon would take his money like the rest of them. The wheels of the world were kept turning by the flow of cash between hands.

This time of morning and the streets were getting busy, though the Pokémon carried on plodding across town and out around the urban sprawl. The settlement wasn't large by the standards of the free cities out to the west, but that concentration of individuals still make Knox's scales crawl. So he aimed for where his wagons were parked out in the nearby fields and the solace of comforts he knew. Already the sides were down and people were bustling round seeing the goods they had on offer.

The Kecleon smiled, seeing money being made always made him happy.

'It's a nice set up you have here.'

Know jumped at the unexpected voice and turned to look for wherever the noise came from. His fears materialised upon immediately seeing the small Umbreon stood beside him. Usually they would have been roughly the same height but the kecleon was tall for his species and Jae small for his own.

He pulled himself together quickly.

'It is indeed.'

'Are they all going with you to the New World?'

The Kecleon nodded.

'We will stay here for today then move on in the morning. I was going to discuss payment with you before you...uh...left.'

Jae didn't blink, still watching the caravan from the slight rise they were both stood on.

'I assume the Raichu told you, if you didn't know that is?'

'I heard some story yes. I want to know how much money you require.'

There was a long pause that dragged on way too long for Knox.

At last Jae spoke, not having moved his eagle-eyed gaze from the wagons ahead of us.

'I don't require any money Sir. I will be heading your direction anyway so I will add some steel to your merry band. All I want for my services is a meal each morning – under the condition that if you do find anything of that which I seek, it will be handed over immediately.'

The Kecleon's eyes narrowed, he had never met an individual who was not driven by the need for wealth and fortune. Jae stood with a small blanket strapped over his back, the pocketed fabric catching in the breeze slightly.

'I see you pack light.' The Pokémon pointed out.

'Material objects don't suit my line of work.' Jae said flatly. He turned to look up at the scaled Pokémon, 'Do you have a name Sir?'

'Knox.'

The Umbreon nodded,

'Well Knox, it looks like we may be together for some time.'

With a sigh in agreement, the Kecleon turned his attention away from the proceedings in front of him only to find the Umbreon gone. Spinning round on a large foot, still he found no sign of the dark-type. It was as if he had dissapeared.

With a clawed hand, Knox wiped away the colour from under his eyes and continued down the grass, not knowing whether the Umbreon was a blessing or a burden in disguise.

He could only hope the rumours of his unchallenged strength were true. That, and this trip to the New World could be over with before it even begun.

The Umbreon was starting to give him the shivers

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 _End_

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Well that was a quick oneshot story idea I came up with and wrote out over a few days. I really enjoyed writing in third person for once and getting in some fresh characters compared to my current work. I won't be continuing with this story, but might be uploading similar short concept pieces from the same universe.

As always, don't forget to R&R!

ZenColour


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